Last week, Noongar elder and deeply respected Christian leader, Rev. Sealin Garlett, presented your Common Grace petition to W.A. Aboriginal Affairs Minister Peter Collier.
In attendance at the meeting - along with Rev. Sealin Garlett (the Aboriginal & Islander Christian Congress Chair) – was: Cheryl Lawson (Noongar Worship Leader); Rev. Ken Williams (Acting Moderator of the Uniting Church Synod of W.A.); Geoff Bice (Justice and Mission Officer); and me (Jarrod McKenna, National Director of Common Grace).
Together, we handed over 1500 personal messages of love and solidarity, and were given the opportunity to discuss the situation with Minister Collier. Our conversation included: the need for consultation processes; discussion of the diversity of communities affected; and our desire to genuinely exhaust all avenues to resolve the situation, beginning first with consultation but not ruling out nonviolent action if necessary and requested by those we stand in solidarity with.
Rev. Sealin praised the positive initiatives the Minister has put in place, but insisted with an unrelenting kindness that the threat of closure of the 150 communities must cease. He explained that for First Peoples, “The land is our pulse beat.”
As a unified group, we specifically asked the Western Australian State Government to:
These were well received by the Minister and we look forward to seeing how things progress. Please pray with us for justice to reign as Minister Collier, Premier Barnett and their teams make decisions about their next steps.
Each January, Aunty Jean Phillips and Brooke Prentis with the support of Common Grace invite Australian Christians to acknowledge our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as we remember our past and find a way forward together.
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